Country France Department Essonne Time zone CET (UTC+1) Population 16,411 (2007) Local time Monday 5:48 AM | Region Île-de-France Canton Orsay Area 7.97 km² Arrondissement Palaiseau University University of Paris-Sud | |
 | ||
Intercommunality Communauté d'agglomération du Plateau de Saclay Weather 8°C, Wind N at 3 km/h, 86% Humidity | ||
Orsay ([ɔʁ.sɛ]) is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, 20.7 km (12.9 mi) from the centre of Paris.
Contents
- Map of 91400 Orsay France
- History
- Transport
- Neighborhoods of Orsay
- Nearby towns
- Places of worship
- Forested areas
- Architecture
- Notable residents
- References
Map of 91400 Orsay, France
Inhabitants of Orsay are known as Orcéens.
History
There has been a village called Orsay on this site since 999, and the first church there was consecrated in 1157. From the sixteenth century, the town and surrounding area were owned by the Boucher family, and it was in honour of this family that Louis XIV gave the quai d'Orsay its name. This is the reason that the Musée d'Orsay is not in Orsay. In the eighteenth century, the family of Grimod du Fort bought the land and received the title of comte d'Orsay. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war, Orsay was occupied by the Prussian army. 88 young "Orcéens" were killed in the First World War.
In 1957, largely due to the influence of Frédéric and Irène Joliot-Curie, the Institut de physique nucléaire (nuclear physics institute) was opened in the Chevreuse valley, and the region, especially Orsay, became an important scientific centre. Another development was the creation of the Université de Paris-Sud, whose most important faculty is the faculty of science.
On 19 February 1977, a part of the territory of Orsay was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Bures-sur-Yvette to create the commune of Les Ulis.
Transport
Orsay is served by two stations on Paris RER line B: Le Guichet and Orsay-Ville.
Neighborhoods of Orsay
Nearby towns
Places of worship
Orsay has one Catholic church: Saint-Martin – Saint-Laurent, opposite the town hall.